Introduction and overview of class,
Military Overview,
History of Military Psychology, Ch1
Jan 11
Disclaimer
Information and opinions expressed by Maj
Dhillon and other military/government
employees providing lectures are not
intended/should not be taken as representing
the policies and views of the Department of
Defense, its component services, or the US
Government.
Schedule
• 15 classes
• Spring Break 21 March
• Exams:
– 15 Feb
– 14 Mar
– 11 Apr
– Final
Military Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
A. Branches
B. Rank Structure Personnel: Enlisted Vs. Officers
C. Line vs. Medical/Support
D. Organizational Structure
E. Community Structure
F. Missions of different services—COL Banks
BSCT
• G. Military Culture—walk, talk, eat, dress, write
Branches of the US Military
US Army
Mission: fight and win our Nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land
dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of
conflict in support of combatant commanders.
• Who is at Risk?
• Risk to Leadership –
Mutiny
• Tradition
• Rigidity
• Junior Autonomy
• Desertion Risk
• Junior First, Then
Everybody
• High
•
•
•
•
Medium
Low
High
High
US Air Force
Mission: fly, fight and win...in air, space and cyberspace.
• Who is at Risk?
• Risk to Leadership –
Mutiny
• Tradition
• Rigidity
• Junior Autonomy
• Desertion Risk
• Officers
• Very High
•
•
•
•
Low
Medium
Low
Medium
US Navy
Mission: maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of
winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.
• Who is at Risk?
• Risk to Leadership –
Mutiny
• Tradition
• Rigidity
• Junior Autonomy
• Desertion Risk
• Everybody!
• Low
•
•
•
•
Very High
High
Low
Very Low
US Marine Corps
Mission: amphibious, project combat ground and air forces from
the sea.
• Who is at Risk?
• Risk to Leadership –
Mutiny
• Tradition
• Rigidity
• Junior Autonomy
• Desertion Risk
• Everyone
• High/Low
•
•
•
•
High
High
Low
High
US Coast Guard
• Not a part of the Department of Defense
• Under Department of Homeland Security
during peacetime
• Falls under the Department of the Navy when
congress declares war or the President directs
Rank Structure-Enlisted
Rank Structure--Officers
Es and Os—What’s the Difference?
Enlistment Oath— Each person enlisting in an armed
force shall take the following oath:
"I, XXXXXXXXXX, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
support and defend the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear
true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey
the orders of the President of the United States and the
orders of the officers appointed over me, according to
regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So
help me God."
Es and Os—What’s the Difference?
Officer Oath made upon commissioning as an
officer
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
support and defend the Constitution of the United
States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
same; that I take this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I
will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the
office on which I am about to enter. So help me
God.
Es and Os—What’s the Difference?
• Enlisted are the execution arm of military
orders
• Officers are the planers/creators of military
orders
• There are far more enlisted than officers
across all branches.
• Ratios differ from service to service depending
on their mission.
Line/Operational vs.
Support/Institutional
• Regardless of component, The Army conducts both
operational and institutional missions. The institutional
Army supports the operational Army.
• Institutional organizations provide the infrastructure
necessary to raise, train, equip, deploy, and ensure the
readiness of all Army forces. It also allows The Army to
expand rapidly in time of war. The industrial base
provides world-class equipment and logistics for The
Army. Once those forces are deployed, the institutional
Army provides the logistics needed to support them.
– Includes medical support
Line/Operational vs.
Support/Institutional
• The operational Army consists of numbered
armies, corps, divisions, brigades, and
battalions that conduct full spectrum
operations around the world.
• Without the institutional Army, the
operational Army cannot function. Without
the operational Army, the institutional Army
has no purpose.
Organizational Structure
• Commands are a collection of formations
• Formations are wings/brigades/divisions
• Units make up formations and are
organizations with non-combat, combat or
support roles
• Each branch has their own way of following
this basic structure
Organizational Structure
AF Example
Major Command (MAJCOM)
Wing
Group
Squadron
Flight
Element
Air Education Training
Command (AETC)
82 Training Wing (TRW)
82 Medical Group (MDG)
82 Medical Operations
Squadron (MDOS)
Mental Health Flight
Mental Health Clinic Element
Military Culture
• Population is a sampling of national
population
• In addition to cultural factors in our diverse
national landscape, military has its own
culture:
– Traditions
– Discipline
– Law
– Norms
Military Norms
• Different from branch to branch but each has
their own way to:
– Walk
– Talk
– Write
– Eat
– Dress
– Family Obligations
Type of Service
• Active—Member is full time in the service
holding rank, full benefits during service
• Reserve—Member is “part-time” in the service,
training one weekend a month, one 2 week field
exercise a year, benefits only when activated or
for service connected issues, active from 3-6
years
• National Guard—serve state and federal gov.
– Training similar to reserve, assist with national
emergencies, if activated deploy for war effort